When Wisconsin Democrats gather for their state convention in Oshkosh
this weekend, they will join the Democratic parties of the states of
California, Massachusetts and New Mexico in officially calling for the
withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

The movement by state parties to pass "bring the troops home"
resolutions, which has been spearheaded by the Progressive Democrats
of America organization, is an important component of the burgeoning
campaign to prevent the loss of more lives in the Iraqi quagmire.
While it is true that a growing number of Republicans have come out
against the war, it remains essential that Democrats in Congress give
voice to the sentiment of the 57 percent of Americans who, according
to last month's CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, no longer believe the war
is worth the human and economic toll it has imposed on the United
States.

Why does it matter for state Democratic parties to pass anti-war
resolutions?

Because Democrats at the federal level need to feel pressure from the
grass roots.

Most Democrats in Congress favor the development of an exit strategy.
When members of the U.S. House of Representatives voted May 25 on
California Democrat Lynn Woolsey's amendment calling on the president
to "develop a plan as soon as practicable after the date of the
enactment of this act to provide for the withdrawal of United States
Armed Forces from Iraq," 122 Democrats backed it, as did five
Republicans and independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Regrettably,
the two top Democrats in the House - Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of
California, and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland - voted with the
Republicans to block the proposal to set a timeline for bringing U.S.
troops home from Iraq.

Three Wisconsin Democrats, Madison's Tammy Baldwin, Milwaukee's Gwen
Moore and Wausau's Dave Obey, voted for the Woolsey amendment. Only La
Crosse Democrat Ron Kind voted with the Republicans. But Kind should
not be let off the hook, nor should Sen. Herb Kohl. Unlike Sen. Russ
Feingold, Kohl voted for the 2002 resolution authorizing President
Bush to attack Iraq and has generally echoed the administration line
since then.

The best way to signal to Wisconsin Democrats such as Kind and Kohl,
and to national Democratic leaders such as Pelosi and Hoyer, that the
time has come for the "opposition party" to actually be an opposition
party is by passing a "bring the troops home" resolution at the state
party convention.

Borrowing from the resolutions already enacted by the state parties of
California, Massachusetts and New Mexico, Wisconsin Democrats ought to
vote this weekend for a resolution that simply states:

WHEREAS: The Bush administration, using false intelligence estimates,
misled the country into an illegal, unnecessary and unwise invasion
and occupation of Iraq, against a country that had neither attacked
nor posed an immediate threat to the United States, thus jeopardizing
our national security; and

WHEREAS: As a result of that action, more than 1,650 American troops
have been killed and more than 12,500 other brave Americans have been
maimed or injured, and tens of thousands of Iraqis, including many
innocent civilians, have also lost their lives, been injured, and seen
their property and country's infrastructure destroyed; and

WHEREAS: The invasion and occupation have created a severe burden on
our economy, stretched the capacity of our armed forces including
Reserve and National Guard troops who are serving unexpectedly long
and difficult tours in Iraq, and continues to cause deep concern at
home and abroad about the policies and intentions of the United States
to the point where the United States is widely regarded with
suspicion, hostility and distrust, and elections in Iraq confirmed
that Iraqis wish the United States to withdraw

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the Wisconsin Democratic Party calls
for termination of the occupation at the earliest possible time with
the withdrawal of American troops, coupled with the creation of an
international body that can assist the Iraqi people in freely and
peacefully determining their own future, and that we participate in
multi-lateral reconstruction.